Father's Day
by Rivulet027
Summary: Thanks to Hunter Ben and Michael change their minds about Father's Day. A BenMichael fluff.


Disclaimer: I own nothing to do with Queer as Folk, Spiderman, AAPL, Half-Priced Books Store or Edmund White. Spoilers: Up to the end of S3 and I guess this would be sometime S4 or after. I haven't seen S4 so I really don't know too much on that. My thoughts on Mel and her child were that if it was winter at the end of S3, I was thinking Jan, Feb maybe even early March and she was only just starting to show that she'd probably have her kid after Father's Day. I'm probably wrong and should probably label this AU, but I didn't.

This is a male slash piece and if that's not to your liking please don't read it.

I hope you enjoy it. Reviews and flames are welcome.

Father's Day:

Michael had always hated Father's Day. During his childhood it had been ten times worse than any Saturday because it was advertised for, prepared for. It felt as though the world was rubbing it in and saying 'see Michael, see what you don't have'. He'd long since gotten over his Saturday anxiety, but Father's Day still left him irritated. So when the alarm went off that Sunday he pulled the covers over his head.

Ben turned off the alarm quickly, hoping it hadn't disturbed Michael. His boyfriend was defiantly not a morning person and liked to sleep in when he could and since Sunday was the one day he had that luxury the last thing Ben wanted to do was disturb him. Still partly asleep himself he blinked at the time on the clock trying to discern why he'd set the alarm for earlier than normal.

Then it him and it hurt.

It was Father's day.

Father's day always had Ben feeling more than a little irritated. It always felt as if the world was saying 'see Ben, see what you can never have'. Also the gym had decided to open its doors that day in a bring-your-child-in way to draw a crowd on a day they were normally not busy. All week it had felt like the gym was going to succeed, hell Brian had even said he was going to bring Gus so he could swim in the therapy pool. Gus refused to swim in the normal pool, he'd cling to Brian and cry about how it was too cold, but he loved to splash around in the much shallower, much warmer therapy pool. Ben had heard other fathers make similar plans depending on their kids and had decided to go in as early as he could to beat the crowd. At least that's what he'd told Michael and himself. Had he chosen to delve into his reasoning further he'd have found that he didn't feel like seeing the father's with their sons because it hurt too badly. He hadn't though and now he was going to get up at an ungodly hour and go to the gym.

Stifling a yawn he glanced at Michael who was currently burrowed under the covers. Carefully he slowly pulled the covers off his boyfriend's head.

"Sleep in," Michael mumbled barely awake as he gave him a pat on the hand before he went back to hugging his pillow. Ben smiled to himself over that response as he got up and grabbed his bag off the bedroom floor.

He paused at the sight that greeted him as he stepped out of the room. There were two bowls of cereal on the table and in the center were two festive bags and a note written in Hunter's neat scrawl. It had always struck Ben as slightly odd that Hunter's handwriting was so neat and decisive. The note read:

Don't be mad, I snuck out. Brain gave me a ride! I'm spending the night at Debbie's, you guys can pick me up when you come to Lindsey's and Mel's for diner. It's at five-thirty, don't forget. Happy Father's Day!

Hunter

P.S. All my efforts mean shit if you two don't fuck at lea…

Ben declined from reading the last part as he dropped the note on the table. Slightly bemused he glanced over the presents noticing that one was of course for him and the other for Michael.

A broad grin swept over his face as he sat down for a moment to collect himself. He had a son, he was celebrating Father's day. He and Michael were going to celebrate Father's day. They were going to celebrate it, had made those plans to go over to Lindsey's and Melanie's, but that had been for Michael, not him. No, it had been for him too, Michael had made that clear –that since they were together they were both 'dads' to his and Melanie's child. It was still living vicariously though Michael, only he wasn't. They had Hunter, he was their son and he paused to wonder why it hadn't occurred to them that Hunter would want to celebrate Father's Day as well. They both must have been too preoccupied with their own discomfort with the holiday.

So it was a very stunned Ben that let his gym back drop from his hands as he picked up the note again. Hunter had cleared out, giving them the day alone at the apartment and he'd gotten them presents?

Ben ran his thumb over the words 'Happy Father's Day!' and his heart swelled.

He glanced back at the bed room, should he wake Michael or let him sleep?

He was too excited he couldn't wait and once Michael saw this he wouldn't mind being woken up. He set the note back on the table before practically bounding off the chair and back into their bedroom. As he crawled back into bed he gently shook his boyfriend, "Michael, baby, wake up."

"No," Michael told him stubbornly yet sleepily, "Not goin' to the gym."

That said Michael pulled the covers over his head.

"Good, I'm not going either," Ben answered.

The covers came down and Michael sat up staring at him wide-eyed. Ben not go to the gym? Was the world ending? Michael quickly felt his boyfriend's forehead asking frantically, "Why? You're not sick are you? Tell me you're not sick."

"Michael I'm fine," Ben soothed as caught Michael's wrist and ran his hand down his arm. He hadn't meant for his announcement to scare his boyfriend.

Michael's brow furrowed in concern, "Then why aren't you going to the gym?"

"Because you have to see what Hunter did."

Michael groaned. What had Hunter done now?

"It's nothing bad."

"Excuse me for being skeptical," Michael answered sarcastically with a grumble. He really just wanted to go back to bed and sleep away as much of Father's Day as he could. Old habits die hard and it always hurt less if he tried to ignore it.

So irritated, but generally curious Michael let himself be led out of bed and to the table. He frowned in confusion as he took in the bowls of cereal and presents, "What's this?"

Ben sat down pulling Michael into his lap as he handed him the note. Michael smirked a small wicked grin, "So we have the apartment to ourselves?"

"Mhmm," Ben replied placing a kiss on his jaw, "Until we pick him up at Mel and Lindsey's."

Michael's grin broadened then he paused to glance at the presents a skeptical look on his face and a little worry in his voice, "What do you think he got us?"

"My guess would be something wildly inappropriate."

Not saying so Michael agreed as he pulled the bags to them. He handed Ben his before reaching into his own and pulling out a Spiderman lunchbox/watch combination. He grinned and set it on the table.

"Not so inappropriate," Michael smiled as he waited for Ben to open his present. Ben reached into the bag and pulled out a small plastic container encasing a tape. He turned it over and read the back before opening it and turning the tape over in his hands.

"Well, what is it?" Michael asked.

"It's the AAPL interview with Edmund White," Ben explained still looking at the tape, "I wonder where he got it."

Michael smiled, "I dragged him to the Half Priced Book Store with me. I wondered why he insisted on paying for it himself and wouldn't let me see it. Who's Edmund White?"

"A writer," Ben explained, "I might actually be able to use this for class. I'll have to listen to it first."

"You can listen to it later," Michael informed him as he pulled the tape from Ben's hand and set it on the table before giving him a kiss.

"Because we have the apartment to ourselves?" Ben asked smiling.

"And there's no way we're going to waste that," Michael answered as he got to his feet and began leading Ben back into the bed room, "You know I think I could change my mind about this Father's day thing."

Ben pulled Michael into him, "You're going to have to with the baby on the way."

"Yeah," Michael smiled at him, "but it already looks like we're dad's so let celebrate cause you know our son has already said he'd be disappointed if we don't."

"Something about that statement is so wrong," Ben laughed as he leaned down and kissed his boyfriend. Michael responded by going up on his toes, pushing into the kiss. They had both completely changed their minds about the third Sunday in June. 


End file.
